Planta Med 2006; 72 - P_063
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-949863

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from Huperzia selago

A Borloz 1, A Marston 1, K Hostettmann 1
  • 1Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland

At the present time, most comercially available drugs to slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. In an effort to find new active substances, different Lycopodiaceae species were screened by TLC bioautography [1]. The alkaloid extract of the whole plant of Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh. ex Schrank et Martius (Lycopodiaceae) was the only one found to contain huperzine A, in addition to other AChE inhibitors. Active constituents were isolated by bio-guided fractionation, using different chromatographic methods such as centrifugal partition chromatography, low-pressure chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Three active compounds were isolated with minimal inhibitory quantities (MIQ) as low as 0.01 ug (MIQ (±)-huperzine A=0.2 ng).

Acknowledgements: The Swiss National Science Foundation (grant no. 2153–066874.01/1 to K. Hostettmann) is gratefully acknowledged for financial support.

Reference: 1. Marston, A. et al. (2002), Phytochem. Anal. 13: 51–54.